The Pro-Chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo State, Dr. Omo-Ehijele Odafen, has said that medical doctors that lack passion are dangers to sick people in hospitals and other areas where medical attention is needed.
Speaking as Guest Lecturer at the induction of 28 graduating medical students of the University of Abuja, Dr. Omo-Ehijele said: “a
doctor without the passion for the vocation is a very unhappy and dangerous doctor and may you not be dangerous doctors.”
He advised them to develop unwavering passion for the practice of medicine, which he said “is the surest way out for a satisfying, fulfilling and enjoyable practice.
Omo-Ehijele acknowledged that it is easy for Doctors and other medical personnel to become disillusioned when practicing in a challenging health environment like Nigeria.
This, according to him, is due mainly to inadequate resources, poor infrastructure and limited appreciation for work done.
The Pro-Chancellor did not fail to point out what he called “poor appropriation for the health sector” in the nation’s budget, explaining that less than five per cent of the total budget of trillions of naira is allocated to health as against 15 per cent WHO/UNESCO recommendation.
He however , advised the graduands to be kind in practice and respectful of whoever they come across, in practice and in their social engagements.
This was even as the Acting Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Professor Aisha Sani Maikudi, advised the graduands to put what they learned into proper practice out there.
According to her, medicine is not just a profession, “it is a calling; one that demands excellence, empathy and unwavering commitment.”
Professor Aisha Maikudi reminded them that the induction marks an end as well as a beginning.
“Today marks both an end and a beginning as you recite the Hippocratic Oath and swear to uphold the principles of your profession.
“You are not just joining the fraternity of healers; you are assuming a sacred cross. You will hold in your hands the power to heal, to comfort and to save lives.
“This responsibility is as heavy as it is rewarding and it requires of you without hesitation to learning, innovation and service.”
Also, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Professor Titus Ibekwe, called on the graduands to put to practice the excellent grooming they received from among the best in the profession.
He said that the College will increase its carrying capacity from January 2025 to 300, saying that the University of Abuja is truly a Nigerian university as its catchment area covers all states of the federation.
Before administering the Hippocratic Oath, Professor Fatima Kyari of the College of Health Sciences, UNIABUJA, counselled the new doctors, amongst other things, not to “japa” but stay in the country to contribute their quota to fatherland.
The induction ceremony, the 6th for the university saw 28 students taking the Hippocratic Oath, a mandatory ritual administered to young medical doctors before they embark on the practice of Medicine, committing them to uphold the ethics of the medical profession.